NBC Super Bowl History

Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa will mark the 16th broadcast by NBC, equaling CBS for the most Super Bowls broadcast by any network.

Super Bowls on NBC

Super Bowl I
1/15/67
Green Bay (NFL) 35
Kansas City (AFL) 10
Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles, CA
Curt Gowdy, Paul Christman, Charlie Jones

NBC and CBS both broadcast the first Super Bowl ever played as the NFL’s Packers defeated the AFL champion Chiefs behind the passing of Bart Starr, the receiving of Max McGee, and a key interception by all-pro safety Willie Wood. Green Bay broke open the game with three second-half touchdowns, the first of which was set up by Wood’s 50-yard return of an interception. McGee, filling in for ailing Boyd Dowler after having caught only four passes all season, caught seven from Starr for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Elijah Pitts ran for two other scores.

NBC producer Ted Nathanson arranged to have as big a TV set as could be found mounted in the mobile production truck. He trained a camera on the screen, occasionally zooming in and beaming that tighter shot over the air. The confused CBS crew apparently couldn’t figure out how NBC managed to get its “exclusives.”

Super Bowl III
1/12/69
NY Jets (AFL) 16
Baltimore (NFL) 7
Orange Bowl
Miami, FL
Curt Gowdy, Al DeRogatis, Kyle Rote

Jets quarterback Joe Namath “guaranteed” victory before the game, then went out and led the AFL to its first Super Bowl victory over a Baltimore team that had lost only once in 16 games all season. Namath, chosen the outstanding player, completed 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards and directed a steady attack that dominated the NFL champions after the Jets’ defense had intercepted Colts quarterback Earl Morrall three times in the first half. Johnny Unitas, who had missed most of the season with a sore elbow, came off the bench and led Baltimore to its only touchdown late in the fourth quarter after New York led 16-0.

Gowdy on Super Bowl III: “That game will always stand out as the most memorable event in my broadcast career.”

Super Bowl V
1/17/71
Baltimore (AFC) 16
Dallas (NFC) 13
Orange Bowl
Miami, FL
Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote

A 32-yard field goal by rookie kicker Jim O’Brien brought the Baltimore Colts a victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the final five seconds of Super Bowl V. The game between the champions of the AFC and NFC was played on artificial turf for the first time. Dallas led 13-6 at the half but interceptions by Rick Volk and Mike Curtis set up a Baltimore touchdown and O’Brien’s decisive kick in the fourth period. Earl Morrall relieved an injured Johnny Unitas late in the first half, although Unitas completed the Colts’ only scoring pass. It caromed off receiver Eddie Hinton’s fingertips, off Dallas defensive back Mel Renfro, and finally settled into the grasp of John Mackey, who went 45 yards to score on a 75-yard play. Dallas’ Chuck Howley, who picked off two passes, became the first defensive player and the first player from a losing team to be named MVP.

Super Bowl VII
1/14/73
Miami (AFC) 14
Washington (NFC) 7
Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles, CA
Curt Gowdy, Al DeRogatis

The Dolphins completed a perfect 17-0 season. Their defense permitted the Redskins to cross midfield only once and their offense turned good field position into two touchdowns. On its third possession, Miami opened its first scoring drive from the Dolphins’ 37 yard line. A Bob Griese to 28-yard touchdown pass to Howard Twilley gave Miami a lead it would never relinquish. Washington’s only touchdown came with 2:07 left in the game and resulted from a misplayed field-goal attempt and fumble by Garo Yepremian, with the Redskins’ Mike Bass picking the ball out of the air and running 49 yards for the score. Dolphins safety Jake Scott, who had two interceptions, including one in the end zone to kill a Redskins’ drive, was voted the game’s most valuable player.

Super Bowl IX
1/12/75
Pittsburgh (AFC) 16
Minnesota (NFC) 6
Tulane Stadium
New Orleans, LA
Curt Gowdy, Al DeRogatis

AFC champion Pittsburgh, in its initial Super Bowl appearance, and NFC champion Minnesota, making a third bid for its first Super Bowl title, struggled through a first half in which the only score was produced by the Steelers’ defense when Dwight White downed Vikings’ quarterback Fran Tarkenton in the end zone for a safety. The Steelers forced another break and took advantage on the second-half kickoff when Minnesota’s Bill Brown fumbled and Marv Kellum recovered for Pittsburgh on the Vikings’ 30. Franco Harris’ 9-yard touchdown run gave Pittsburgh a 9-0 lead. Pittsburgh’s defense permitted Minnesota only 119 yards total offense, including a Super Bowl low of 17 rushing yards. The Steelers, meanwhile, gained 333 yards, including Harris’s record 158 yards on 34 carries.

Super Bowl XI
1/9/77
Oakland (AFC) 32
Minnesota (NFC) 14
Rose Bowl
Pasadena, CA
Curt Gowdy, Don Meredith

The Raiders won their first NFL championship before a record Super Bowl crowd, plus the largest television audience ever to watch a sporting event – 81 million. The Raiders gained a record-breaking 429 yards, including running back Clarence Davis’ 137 rushing yards. Wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff made four key receptions, which earned him the game’s most valuable player trophy. Oakland scored on three successive possessions in the second quarter to build a 16-0 halftime lead. Two fourth-quarter interceptions clinched the title for the Raiders. One set up Pete Banaszak’s second touchdown run, the other resulted in cornerback Willie Brown’s Super Bowl-record 75-yard interception return. John Madden, at age 40, became the youngest head coach ot win a Super Bowl ring.

Super Bowl XIII
1/21/79
Pittsburgh (AFC) 35
Dallas (NFC) 31
Orange Bowl
Miami, FL
Curt Gowdy, John Brodie,Merlin Olsen

Terry Bradshaw passed for a record four touchdowns to lead the Steelers to victory. The Steelers became the first team to win three Super Bowls. Bradshaw, voted the game’s most valuable player, completed 17 of 30 passes for 318 yards, a personal high. Four of those passes went for touchdowns – two to John Stallworth and the third, with 26 seconds remaining in the second period, to Rocky Bleier for a 21-14 halftime lead. In the second half, Bradshaw fired his fourth touchdown pass, an 18-yard pass to Lynn Swann to boost the Steelers’ lead to 35-17 with 6:51 to play. The Cowboys refused to let the Steelers run away with the contest. Staubach connected with Billy Joe DuPree on a 7-yard scoring pass with 2:23 left. Then the Cowboys recovered an onside kick and Staubach took them in for another score, passing four yards to Butch Johnson with 22 seconds remaining. Bleier recovered another onside kick to seal the victory for the Steelers.

Super Bowl XV
1/25/81
Oakland (AFC) 27
Philadelphia (NFC) 10
Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans, LA
Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen

Jim Plunkett passed for three touchdowns, including an 80-yard strike to Kenny King, as the Raiders became the first Wild Card team to win the Super Bowl. Plunkett’s touchdown bomb to King – the longest play in Super Bowl history – gave Oakland a decisive 14-0 lead with nine seconds left in the first period. Linebacker Rod Martin had set up Oakland’s first touchdown, a 2-yard reception by Cliff Branch, with a 17-yard interception return to the Eagles’ 30-yard line. The Eagles never recovered from that early deficit, managing only Tony Franklin’s field goal (30 yards) and an 8-yard touchdown pass from Ron Jaworski to Keith Krepfle. Plunkett, who became a starter in the sixth game of the season, completed 13 of 21 for 261 yards and was named the game’s most valuable player. Martin finished the game with 3 interceptions, a Super Bowl record.

Super Bowl XVII
1/30/83
Washington (NFC) 27
Miami (AFC) 10
Rose Bowl
Pasadena, CA
Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen

Fullback John Riggins ran for a Super Bowl-record 166 yards on 38 carries to spark Washington to a 27-17 victory over AFC champion Miami. The win marked Washington’s first NFL title since 1942, and was only the second time in Super Bowl history NFL/NFC teams scored consecutive victories (Green Bay did it in Super Bowls I and II and San Francisco won Super Bowl XVI). The Redskins, under second-year head coach Joe Gibbs, used a balanced offense that accounted for 400 total yards (a Super Bowl-record 276 yards rushing and 124 passing), second in Super Bowl history to 429 yards by Oakland in Super Bowl XI. Riggins, who was voted the game’s most valuable player, gave Washington its first lead of the game with 10:01 left when he ran 43 yards off left tackle for a touchdown in a fourth-and-1 situation. Wide receiver Charlie Brown caught a 6-yard scoring pass from Joe Theismann with 1:55 left to complete the scoring.

Super Bowl XX
1/26/86
Chicago (NFC) 46
New England (AFC) 10
Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans, LA
Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen, Bob Griese

The NFC champion Chicago Bears, seeking their first NFL title since 1963, scored a Super Bowl-record 46 points in downing AFC champion New England. The previous record for most points in a Super Bowl was 38, shared by San Francisco in XIX and the Los Angeles Raiders in XVIII. The Bears’ league-leading defense tied the Super Bowl record for sacks (7) and limited the Patriots to a record-low seven rushing yards. New England took the quickest lead in Super Bowl history when Tony Franklin kicked a 36-yard field goal with 1:19 elapsed in the first period. However, the Bears rebounded for a 23-3 first-half lead, while building a yardage advantage of 236 total yards to New England’s minus 19. The Bears completed their scoring via a 28-yard interception return by reserve cornerback Reggie Phillips, a 1-yard run by defensive tackle/fullback William Perry, and a safety. Bears defensive end Richard Dent became the fourth defender to be named the game’s most valuable player after contributing 1½ sacks. The Bears’ victory margin of 36 points was the largest in Super Bowl history. Chicago coach Mike Ditka became the second man (Tom Flores of Raiders was the other) to win a Super Bowl ring as a player and as a coach.

Super Bowl XXIII
1/22/89
San Francisco (NFC) 20
Cincinnati (AFC) 16
Joe Robbie Stadium
Miami, FL
Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen

NFC champion San Francisco captured its third Super Bowl of the 1980s and became the first NFC team to win three Super Bowls. Even though San Francisco held an advantage in total net yards (453 to 229), the 49ers found themselves trailing the Bengals late in the game. With the score 13-13, Cincinnati took a 16-13 lead on Jim Breech’s 40-yard field goal with 3:20 remaining. The 49ers started their winning drive at their 8-yard line. Over the next 11 plays, San Francisco covered 92 yards with the decisive score coming on a 10-yard pass from quarterback Joe Montana to wide receiver John Taylor with 34 seconds remaining. Jerry Rice was named the game’s most valuable player after compiling 11 catches for a Super Bowl-record 215 yards. Montana completed 23 of 36 passes for a Super Bowl-record 357 yards and two touchdowns. NBC’s Cris Collinsworth three receptions for 40 yards.

Super Bowl XXVII
1/21/93
Dallas (NFC) 52
Buffalo (AFC) 17
Rose Bowl
Pasadena, CA
Dick Enberg, Bob Trumpy

Troy Aikman passed for four touchdowns, Emmitt Smith rushed for 108 yards, and the Cowboys converted nine turnovers into 35 points while coasting to the victory. Dallas’s win was its third in its record sixth Super Bowl appearance; the Bills became the first team to drop three in succession. Buffalo led 7-0 until the first two of its record number of turnovers helped the Cowboys take the lead for good late in the opening quarter.Aikman, the game’s most valuable player, completed 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards.
The victory was the ninth in succession for the NFC over the AFC.

Super Bowl XXVIII
1/30/94
Dallas (NFC) 30
Buffalo (AFC) 13
Georgia Dome
Atlanta, GA
Dick Enberg, Bob Trumpy

Emmitt Smith rushed for 132 yards and two second-half touchdowns to power the Cowboys to their second consecutive NFL title. By winning, Dallas joined San Francisco and Pittsburgh as the only franchises with four Super Bowl victories. The Bills, meanwhile, extended a dubious string by losing in the Super Bowl for the fourth consecutive year. To win, the Cowboys had to rally from a 13-6 halftime deficit. Buffalo had forged its lead on Thurman Thomas’s 4-yard touchdown run and a pair of field goals by Steve Christie, including a 54-yard kick, the longest in Super Bowl history. But just 55 seconds into the second half, Thomas was stripped of the ball by Dallas defensive tackle Leon Lett and safety James Washington recovered and weaved his way 46 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 13-13. Then Smith, the game’s MVP, took over. He had 30 carries in all, with 19 of his attempts and 92 yards coming after intermission. Dallas, the first team in NFL history to begin the regular season 0-2 and go on to win the Super Bowl, also became the fifth to win back-to-back titles, following Green Bay, Miami, Pittsburgh (the Steelers did it twice), and San Francisco. Buffalo became the third team, along with Minnesota and Denver, to lose four Super Bowls. The Cowboys’ victory was the 10th in succession for the NFC over the AFC.

Super Bowl XXIX
1/28/96
Dallas (NFC) 27
Pittsburgh (AFC) 17
Sun Devil Stadium
Tempe, AZ
Dick Enberg, Paul Maguire,Phil Simms

Cornerback Larry Brown’s two interceptions led to 14 second-half points and helped lift the Cowboys to their third Super Bowl victory in the last four seasons and their record-tying fifth title overall. Brown’s interceptions foiled the comeback efforts of the Steelers, and earned him the game’s MVP. Dallas scored on each of its first three possessions, taking a 13-0 lead. Pittsburgh ralled and trailed only 20-17 with 4:15 remaining. But on second down, Brown struck again, intercepting O’Donnell’s pass at the 39 and returning it 33 yards to the six leading to an Emmitt Smith game-clinching touchdown. Pittsburgh limited the Cowboys’ powerful running game to only 56 yards and enjoyed a whopping 201-61 advantage in total yards in the second half, but could not overcome the three interceptions.The Cowboys’ victory was the 12th in a row for NFC teams over AFC teams in the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl XXXII
1/25/98
Denver (AFC) 31
Green Bay (NFC) 24
Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego, CA
Dick Enberg, Paul Maguire, Phil Simms

In the last NFL broadcast on NBC prior to its return to the NFL in 2006, Terrell Davis rushed for 157 yards and a Super Bowl-record three touchdowns to lead the Broncos to their first NFL championship and break the NFC’s streak of Super Bowl victories at 13. With 3:27 left and the score tied 24-24, Davis rushed for two yards, but Darrius Holland’s 15-yard facemask penalty moved the ball to the Packers’ 32. John Elway threw a 23-yard pass to Howard Griffith two plays later, and after a holding penalty, Davis rushed 17 yards to the Packers’ 1 with 1:47 left. After a timeout, Davis waltzed into the end zone to give Denver a 31-24 lead with 1:45 remaining. The Packers advanced to the Broncos’ 35 with 1:04 left but turned the ball over on downs. Elway was 12 of 22 for 123 yards, with an interception. Brett Favre was 25 of 42 for 256 yards and a touchdown, with one interception. Davis was named the game’s MVP.

NBC SPORTS SUPER BOWL XLIII PREGAME SHOW CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS

“There is no day in all of American life where we have this kind of communal experience.” – Ebersol on the Super Bowl.

“It’s just one of those classic Ali-Frazier kind of matchups for a football geek like I am.” – Collinsworth on the matchup

TAMPA – January 28, 2009 — NBC Sports today conducted a media conference call to preview its pregame coverage of Super Bowl XLIII with Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics; Mike Weisman, Executive in Charge of Production; Sam Flood, Coordinating Producer; Bob Costas (pregame host); Cris Collinsworth (co-host); Keith Olbermann (co-host); Dan Patrick (co-host); Jerome Bettis (analyst); and Tiki Barber (analyst).

EBERSOL ON THE PREGAME SHOW: “From time to time people think ‘these pregame shows are going to become longer and longer and longer.’ Can I tell you something? There is no day in all of American life where we have this kind of communal experience. Everybody is interested. The Super Bowl has always got the same audience, give or take just a few million people. They want to be part of the communal experience. They’re intrigued by the ads. This is the one time all year where every ad has people leaning forward in their seats. They want to be part of the process. So we’re filling that curiosity throughout the day.”

EBERSOL ON NBC RETURNING TO THE SUPER BOWL: “I’m reflecting back on the last time we did the Super Bowl, it was some eleven years ago, and it was a tough moment for many people at NBC Sports. We were particularly spoiled because through faith’s goodwill we had done four of the previous six Super Bowls and we almost felt like we owned it. Now we come back, and I’ve gone to a Super Bowl or two along the way but I have never really been around for the whole week to see the size, the magnitude, to see just how big it is now.”

COLLINSWORTH ON THE MATCHUP: “For a football fan, I think it has one of the most compelling matchups you can have in a league. To be Kurt Warner, a guy who believes in getting all his backs and receivers out of the backfield, leaving himself unprotected, going against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the way that Dick LeBeau and Troy Polamalu and the defensive player of the year James Harrison like to bring the pressure, it’s just one of those classic Ali-Frazier kind of matchups for a football geek like I am. So that is going to be tremendous fun for me. Coming from Kentucky with a lot of horse racing in our blood there, we’re told when you’re handicapping the horses to pay attention to nothing but the last three games or the last three races when you’re getting ready for the Derby. Well if you pay attention to Arizona’s last three games, look out.”

WEISMAN ON SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT IN THE PREGAME SHOW: “You look for a mix. We have to appeal to the hardcore football viewer who watches ‘Football Night in America’ and ‘Sunday Night Football’ all year. Then there’s an audience that is less familiar with football and we have an obligation to tell them some of the back-stories. Then you also have the challenge that there are parties going on and people are watching in groups and that’s why we try and bring in the entertainment factor as part of the pregame show. There will be less features than normal on a football pregame show. We are relying more on more input, more on camera time from the talent telling stories, moving the day along, rather than going to, as we’ve seen on other networks at other times, long features, that are sometimes a chance for people to turn the dial.”

EBERSOL ON JENNIFER HUDSON: “Jennifer Hudson is going through one of the toughest things imaginable to a human being and will make her return center stage in American life singing the national anthem.”

BETTIS ON THE STEELERS AS A MODEL FRANCHISE: “This franchise, they understand the business model that you believe in people and not numbers.”

BETTIS ON THE STEELERS STORYLINES: “I know a little bit about Pittsburgh. There are a lot of great storylines with Pittsburgh. Obviously the first is Ben Roethlisberger and his Super Bowl jitters and will they return or won’t they. You’ve got Hines Ward struggling to play injured out there. He told me that there’s no way he won’t be out on that football field. Can Willie Parker run against the Arizona defense and of course the chess match with Coach LeBeau and Kurt Warner. From the Steelers side this is an opportunity to get six Super Bowl Championships. So it’s going to be very, very interesting to see what happens. Coach Tomlin is a young coach, I think he’s going to open up this new movement to young head coaches and I think it’s going to be really important to see how well he performs in the Super Bowl.”

COLLINSWORTH ON KNOWING WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO LOSE A SUPER BOWL: “In this day we not only document the winner, and that’s pretty easy, everybody wants to give you an interview and everybody wants to celebrate the moment, but to help you understand what that loser is feeling like walking off that field with the other teams colors confetti blowing in their hair. That is not fun.”

Bettis: “For the record I sleep pretty good at night.”

Collinsworth: “You eat pretty good too.”

BARBER ON THE CARDINALS STORY: “This team has been forgotten for so many years. They were the laughing stock of the NFL, the guaranteed win on most people’s schedules for so long. But when you really look at this team and where they come from, how they balance their offense, the stories that haven’t been told or maybe been told once or twice, people don’t really think about them because they reside in the desert.”

BARBER ON CARDINALS RECEIVERS: “Larry Fitzgerald is one of the greatest people in this National Football League and his stated goal was to be the best receiver in football in the history of the game and he’s well on his way to doing that. Anquan Boldin may be the toughest receiver in the history of the game having been playing with a broken top jaw.”

PATRICK ON COVERING THE SUPER BOWL: “After 17 years covering the Super Bowl for ESPN on the outside looking in, it’s an honor to be part of the pregame show and the festivities that will be there.”

OLBERMANN ON COVERING THE SUPER BOWL: “The broadcast, obviously for all of us involved in it, no matter what degree of our previous experience is, is a pinnacle of everybody’s career from those of us who are on this call, to the guys who drive the golf carts around the compound.”

EBERSOL ON SUPER BOWL AD SALES: “Considering the state of the economy in the United States we couldn’t be any more thrilled with where we are. As of yesterday we had four spots to sell. I’m told within the last few hours two of those four have sold, so now we’re down to two spots unsold in the game — a large number of them for as much as $3 million. Clearly the Super Bowl experience will bring about the largest gross income for television coverage of the Super Bowl.

“I know that everybody wants to turn this into a melodrama about the sales. This is an extraordinary story against the backdrop of this economy. It’s an unbelievable story by the sales guys who had the smarts to start selling this thing last March, April, May, June. The vast majority was out of the way so it was resistant to the very tough economy we’re in.”

NBC’S SUPER BOWL XLIII PREGAME SHOW PRESENTS A FULL DAY OF SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

In-Depth Features, Interviews & Analysis Of Super Bowl XLIII; Exclusive Sit-Downs With Obama & Springsteen; Celebrity Appearances From Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Kevin James, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien; Performances From Faith Hill, Journey, John Legend Highlight NBC’s Super Bowl Pregame Show

Today’s Al Roker to Host “Super Suite”

Jennifer Hudson to Sing National Anthem

TAMPA — January 29, 2009 — The lead up to the Super Bowl, a full day of football combined with music, comedy and entertainment, along with exclusive interviews with President Barack Obama from the White House and Bruce Springsteen, kicks off on NBC at Noon ET with NBC’s Super Bowl XLIII Pregame Show. NBC’s pregame coverage will be filled with expert analysis, interviews, features on the participants and an insider’s look at the biggest day in sports. The NBC crew will rotate from sets at the NFL Experience, NFL Tailgate and from the “Pirate Ship” inside the stadium, with live reports from team hotels and locker rooms. The “Super Suite,” hosted by “Today’s” Al Roker, will be celebrity central. Jennifer Hudson will sing the national anthem as the final act before kickoff.

“The Super Bowl is much more than a game, it’s become one of our country’s biggest holidays,” said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. “It’s a day when families and friends gather together to celebrate a uniquely American day and we’ve put together a full day of football and entertainment that we believe has something for everyone, whether you’re an avid fan or someone who watches only on this day.”

NBC’s pregame coverage is hosted by Bob Costas, joined by co-hosts Cris Collinsworth, Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick; analysts Jerome Bettis and Tiki Barber; and reporter Peter King. Joining the regular “Football Night in America” crew are Super Bowl winning coaches Tony Dungy and Mike Holmgren, along with Matt Millen and Rodney Harrison. The “Sunday Night Football” team of Al Michaels, John Madden, Andrea Kremer, Alex Flanagan and Bob Neumeier will contribute reports and analysis.

9 A.M. ET “TODAY” KICKS OFF NBC’S COVERAGE: During “Today’s” special two-hour Super Bowl program, beginning at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT, Meredith Viera, Al Roker and Ann Curry will give viewers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the sights, sounds, parties and food of the big game as well as the preparations that go into Super Sunday. They will also explore the city of Tampa and experience the local Super Bowl fever. Tiki Barber will get a VIP tour of the stadium from his twin brother Ronde, who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

NOON ET “ROAD TO THE SUPER BOWL“: Bob Costas will kick off NBC’s pregame coverage live at Noon ET from the “Pirate Ship” leading into a comprehensive look back at the 2008 NFL season featuring the best of NFL Films cinematography and exclusive audio from players and coaches.

HAIL TO THE CHIEF: NBC News’ Matt Lauer will sit down with President Barack Obama for a live interview from the White House during NBC’s Super Bowl Pregame Show.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Bruce Springsteen, who will be performing at halftime of Super Bowl XLIII, will be the subject of an exclusive sit-down during pregame with Bob Costas. Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, a native of the Jersey shore, is contributing an essay on his idol Springsteen in the pregame show.

COVER ME: Among the features in the Super Bowl XLIII pregame show are segments on the Cardinals’ Ken Whisenhunt, Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald; features on Mike Tomlin, Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, beloved defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers; analysis of each team with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who analyzed game film with Collinsworth; and a look at what the players experience during Super Bowl week. Rodney Harrison will analyze how to defend the seemingly unstoppable Fitzgerald.

“LITTLE BIG SHOW”: Olbermann and Patrick, who together redefined sports highlights, will break down the best highlights from the AFC and NFC this season.

BACK STAGE PASS: NBC will follow the Cardinals and Steelers throughout the lead up to the game, from the team hotels, to the team buses, to the first-ever Super Bowl pregame reports from the locker rooms, to the teams’ sidelines. Patrick, Olbermann, Bettis, Barber, Kremer, Flanagan and Neumeier will shadow the AFC and NFC champs.

ROKER TO HOST SUPER SUITE: “Today’s” Al Roker will host NBC’s pregame coverage from the “NBC Super Suite” from the NFL Experience in Tampa. The Super Suite will be celebrity central during NBC’s pregame show with appearances and segments scheduled from among others Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Kevin James, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Vin Diesel, Hayden Panettiere and Rainn Wilson.

TOP CHEF: Tom Colicchio from Bravo’s Top Chef, will join Tiki Barber and Jerome Bettis in judging a “Cook-Off” between previous “Top Chef” contestants exploring the cuisines of Arizona and Pittsburgh.

GATORADE SHOWER: CNBC’s sports business reporter Darren Rovell will take a look at Gatorade and its iconic presence in the Super Bowl, which most believe started with Harry Carson’s Gatorade shower of his coach Bill Parcells in 1986 but actually originated with the Chicago Bears.

MUSICAL PERFORMANCES: NBC’s pregame show will feature live performances from rock stars Journey and John Legend. Faith Hill will perform a special Super Bowl version of her weekly “Sunday Night Football” theme song “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night.” Hill also will sing America the Beautiful prior to Jennifer Hudson singing the anthem.

“LET THE SUNSHINE IN”: The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore will provide updates on the weather from Tampa throughout the pregame.